We arrived just after lunch, and after a slightly confusing journey into the city from the airport (which isn't actually that bad, we just didn't prepare enough!), we arrived at Centrum underground station which comes out in front of the Palace of Science and Culture. Whilst we didn't go in, the building was impressively huge but rather ugly too! I believe you can go up to a viewing point and look out over Warsaw.
Our hotel, the Sofitel Victoria, was based about a ten minute walk from the old town and ten minutes from the Central station so it was really well located. After checking in, receiving a free upgrade and admiring the views, we headed out to explore!
Warsaw is quite a big city, but the nicest part is definitely the Old Town. Tragically, this part of the city centre was ruined during World War Two and was rebuilt following the war. One of the buildings we saw had 1953 engraved on it, and it looked about two hundred years old - the Varsovians have built their magnificent city up again despite the devastation of the war. The Old Town was beautiful, and I know that some has criticised it for looking "like a fairytale town", but that's part of what I loved about it. It was possibly the prettiest city centre I have experienced.
Whilst in the city centre, we decided to go up the tower that is in the centre of the old town. At only 5ZL, it was a great to see some panoramic views of Warsaw. I'd definitely recommend if you are in the old town! The rest of the day was spent exploring and in the hotel spa which was the best place for an afternoon nap.
Sunday was spent exploring further, and taking in the Polish capital. We headed back to the old town in the morning before making our way to the Warsaw Uprising museum. We decided to walk, but it was about 40 minutes from the old town so prepare for a bit of walk if you're staying near the centre. As the museum is free on Sundays, we decided to go then to save money. However, it was very crowded and neither of us felt we were able to take everything in. We'd definitely go back, but opt to go earlier on in the day to avoid the crowds of people.
Our final day in Warsaw was spent walking through the streets and enjoying the sunshine that had graced us with it's presence. We headed to Zapiecek for lunch which serves every type of pierogi you could imagine. If you ever head to Poland, definitely check this place out. It may be a chain (we went to two different ones during our stay!) but both of the restaurants were very different and you didn't necessarily feel like it was a chain. The food was not only delicious and filling, but very affordable too.
Whilst Warsaw might not have thousands of touristy attractions, it's the perfect city break to head to if you are looking for a balance between exploring and relaxing. We certainly could have done more if you we had wanted to, but it was nice to not have to rush around trying to fit everything in like you would in a more touristy city. Having said that, I would definitely love to head back to Warsaw in the future to check out some more of the places we didn't fit in this time! It's an affordable and beautiful city to check out if you are looking for somewhere to visit in Europe that won't break the bank.
Have you ever been to Warsaw?
